A Toronto restaurant from the chef behind one of the city’s best Middle Eastern spots just announced it’ll soon be closing down.
Born out of a desire to bring even more Middle Eastern flavours and unique dishes to the Annex (and Toronto’s culinary scene at large), Fet Zun is much more than just the little sister to renowned Toronto chef, Anthony Rose’s much-loved Fat Pasha.
Sure, if you can’t score yourself a reservation at Fat Pasha, Fet Zun stands as a perfectly formidable substitute, similarly turning out bountiful spreads of shareables, dips and piles of pita, but the restaurant is also entirely its own beast.
Where Fat Pasha and Schmaltz Appetizing, Anthony’s no-frills deli, pay homage to Yiddish culinary tradition, Fet Zun has been serving up Moroccan- and Turkish-inspired dishes for the past decade, with the added surprise of having a somewhat-secret burger shop, Madame Boeuf and Flea, tucked away in the back.
The days of Fet Zun’s residency on Dupont are numbered, though, as Anthony and his fellow co-owners recently took to Instagram to announce that the restaurant won’t be making it into 2025.
“Fet Zun was great. I loved it, and I loved that space,” Anthony tells blogTO, “I was the first one in that space for maybe 40 years, so that was very exciting.”
Ultimately, though, the decision to close the restaurant came down to Anthony’s desire to focus his energy and time more on Fat Pasha and Schmaltz Appetizing, rather than spread himself thin along Dupont. Along with Fet Zun’s closure, Madame Boeuf and Flea will also cease to be.
On the bright side, Fat Pasha and Schmaltz Appetizing continue to be alive and well only a stone’s throw away from Fet Zun, so you don’t need to look far the next time you’re in need of an Anthony Rose meal — and there are also some new and exciting introductions on the horizon.
Anthony tells blogTO that, in the new year, Fat Pasha will be expanding to brunch and lunch offerings after operating as a strictly-dinner establishment for years, while Schmaltz Appetizing may hold a future as a casual nighttime deli spot.
“We feel that Dupont has crossed the barrier of being just a crossway through the city, and there’s so much popping up, there are more condos here and we’re seeing more foot traffic, so we’re very excited for that.”
Fet Zun is set to close permanently following dinner service on Dec. 22, so you’ve got a little over a week to get in your last meal.
Fet Zun is located at 252 Dupont.
